The Divine Mission of the Comforter | John Owen

Deep Dive into The Saint's Fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by John Owen - Part III: Chapter IJohn Owen's text explores the foundational nature of a believer's communion with the Holy Spirit, specifically focusing on His essential role as the Comforter. This foundation is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ's final teachings in the Gospel of John, where He prepares His disciples for severe persecution, excommunication, and His impending physical departure from the world. Christ assures His disciples that His departure is actually highly advantageous for them, as it is the necessary prerequisite for sending the Comforter to guide and support them.The text carefully distinguishes between the Spirit's role in sanctification, which brings spiritual life to dead hearts, and His role in consolation, which provides peace and comfort to those who already believe. Regarding this comforting mission, the Holy Spirit proceeds voluntarily from the Father, demonstrating His own distinct personal will and divine condescension in the ongoing work of grace. The manner of His arrival is described in three specific ways: He is given freely as a pure act of grace without human merit, He is sent authoritatively by both the Father and the Son, and He is poured out abundantly upon believers. Because He acts with the full authority and united love of the entire Trinity, sinning against the Holy Spirit is considered exceptionally grave.Furthermore, believers receive this Spirit of consolation actively through faith, which involves continually trusting in God's promises, engaging in earnest prayer, and faithfully responding to the Spirit's internal promptings. Once received, the Holy Spirit is promised to abide with the believer forever. While believers might not always experience immediate comfort due to their own spiritual darkness, their refusal to accept comfort, or the sovereign will of the Spirit, He never entirely abandons a believing soul. Ultimately, the Comforter remains fundamentally present to continually sanctify and eventually restore full consolation to the believer.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerWorship Music: https://suno.com/playlist/3a498d0f-c90e-4981-8aa7-59834e7239f7https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730